A thug yawned in the dock as he was sentenced for burgling a pensioner who was so terrified she pretended to be asleep.
The 86-year-old “froze” and lay hiding beneath her duvet while the burglar went through her wardrobe. Thomas Farrell, 20, then left the bedroom of her Egremont flat and rifled through cupboards and drawers in other rooms while she stayed in bed too frightened to move for an hour until she was sure he had gone.
Liverpool Crown Court heard on Friday, April 8, the victim had lived independently in her flat for 34 years, but because of the incident, which happened on December 11 at around 5am, had to move out. She was initially in respite care but is now in sheltered accommodation and has to rely on others for assistance.
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It was the third time in two years the victim's home was burgled and the court heard a phone taken in one of the earlier raids had been found on Farrell, but he had not been charged with that particular burglary. Farrell stood in the dock yawning and looking bored when a judge, who described the incident as “appalling”, sentenced him to a total of four years detention.
He had an 18 month suspended sentence hanging over him at the time of the offence, imposed in February last year for affray. Judge Stuart Driver, QC, activated 12 months of it to run consecutively to the three years for the burglary.
Farrell, of Comely Bank Road, Wallasey, had pleaded guilty to burglary. Judge Driver said the victim had been a vulnerable pensioner in her own home.
Max Saffman, prosecuting, told the court that when the victim realised he was in her room she pretended to be asleep.
He said: "She was a woman in her own bed and it was a terrifying experience as an 86-year-old to see you in her bedroom. She lay there scared stiff. About 6am when she was satisfied he was not there she contacted the police to say she had been burgled. Entry had been gained through a rear ground floor window which had been smashed with a piece of stone which was found within the property.”
Her mobile phone worth £200 had been taken along with her handbag. Police discovered blood on the broken window which was found to be Farrell’s.
In her impact statement the victim told how she had been “absolutely terrified.” She saw him going through her wardrobe and she “froze” and then heard him going through cupboards and drawers.
He left the flat leaving the front door wide open, with the living room in a mess. The victim called police and her daughter. She went into respite care as she was afraid he would return and has since moved into sheltered accommodation which had cost her “a fortune” as she had to buy new furniture. The victim told how she had been left suffering from nightmares and has lost all her confidence.
Philip Tully, defending, said Farrell accepted he would receive a jail sentence and was remorseful. He had had a difficult upbringing and struggles with dyslexia and other issues.
Judge Driver pointed out that while his previous conviction was not for burglary it involved travelling in a car stolen in a burglary and the affray was a violent attempt to enter someone’s home.
